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Awaiting the total lunar eclipse Oct. 8

The scurs are keeping their options open this week hoping their good weather fortunes continue, although they can’t remember which thermostat is in the Gremlin controlling the Weather Eye. What does the first week in October portend? Starting Wednesday mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain in the forenoon with decreasing chances into the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly cloudy Thursday with a good chance of a shower or even a thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the mid-40’s. Friday, much cooler and mostly sunny with a slight chance for showers. Highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Continued cool under sunny skies on Saturday with highs again in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-40’s. Sunday, mostly sunny and warmer with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny for Monday and Tuesday with highs in the low to mid 60’s and lows in the mid-40’s. The normal high for October 5th is 65 and the normal low is 41.The scurs will be awaiting the total lunar eclipse at 5:25 a.m. on the 8th.

Some harvest activity this past week and results so far have been encouraging. Warm temps pushed crops to maturity rapidly. Soybeans that looked like they may have been underachievers from a cool and in some cases a frosty finish to the season came through with early returns of 40 – 50+ bu./acre yields. And this from early maturing beans with in some cases hail damage on them. Corn hasn’t been touched in general yet but there will be some early contracts to be filled so we should know soon. Odds are it too may be a positive surprise.

Wrote some of this from my little fat buddy’s most excellent camp near Atikokan Ontario. It was time again to get away and relax for a spell. It truly is a great place to let your hair down and forget about the hustle and bustle of greater Bugtussle. The leaves were coming on although they weren’t close to peak yet. The Sunday rain and wind took many of the leaves off in the coming prime areas. The birch trees had been a pretty yellow and some of the maples had been right on their heels. The tamarack had not yet turned although some were noticeably paler on our return home. The temperatures were very palatable and because fishing was slow, soaking up the sun was the order of the day Friday and Saturday. Lounging on a dock in shorts having late September refreshments in the Great White North is truly something to savor. We did travel around some too and observed a spectacular stair-step waterfall not unlike others common to the area. A few smallmouth were caught so we could say we were fishing. Food was superb with local produce from the ranch making up some of the fare. Of course some extremely cutthroat cribbage was played. The board got a workout even if we forgot which leg we were on. Oh well, that way the games last longer.

We also watched and listened to the birds. One knew it would be a good time when upon going outside for the last time in the evening, a barred owl was busy with its patented “who cooks for you?” call. In the daytime, some robins were moving through the area. A few gray jays or camp robbers as they're known locally were checking us out for any potential handouts. Chickadees were occasional visitors and the juncos were still around yet. Last year it wasn’t long after we were home and they showed up at the ranch so we’ll have to see if they repeat that behavior

It’s always good to see home show up again though. Ruby will just about come unglued after one is gone for an extended length of time. Of course that happens when you’re gone from morning until noon sometimes. Fudgie is less animated but glad to see you nonetheless. It’s interesting to see if anything has changed while we were away. Typically the garden requires attention and the lawn needs another mowing. That much is a given. It’s always a question too when the hummingbirds are ready to depart. (There were still two at the ranch yet Tuesday the 30th) Some may question how one can take off this time of year for a few days when everything is starting to happen in the fields. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery if only for a brief stay. There was no TV or internet. Just breathtaking scenery, three guys telling stories (all true by the way), listening to old rock and roll while sharing a lot of laughs. It’s necessary to take a breather sometimes not to mention crucial for one’s state of mental health.

I may have to hold off on the one year anniversary card I’d planned on sending to the phone company. If you’ll recall, last year about this time the road construction crew contracted by the Peoples’ Republic of Steele Co. hit our phone line, interrupting our phone and internet service. The line was replaced by the phone company and left laying on top of the ground for a subcontractor to bury later or so we were told. In spite of our numerous requests and subsequent work orders over the past year for its burial, it has remained above ground. It sounds like this may be about to change. While I was gone, the phone service and internet service were disrupted again. After several attempts to get through the maze of button pressing options that corporate America likes to call “customer service”, Mrs. Cheviot was finally able to get someone from the phone company out to look at it. When he looked at the situation, he couldn’t believe that the matter hadn't been resolved. This time it turned out the neighbors must’ve accidentally hit the phone line when they were mowing hay by the road ditch. If I’d known that’s what it would take to get action, I would’ve run the cable through the lawnmower myself last fall!